The Member of Parliament for Manya Krobo Constituency, Ebenezer Okletey-Teye Larbi, has stated that he is not in the capacity to construct roads because MPs do not construct roads.
According to him, his government is not in power and little can he do about issues of poor road networks in his constituency.
His claim comes on the back of responding to questions asked him, on the poor road network in Akuse, a community in his constituency.
“My brother the point is that it is also a concern to me so the fact is that the roads have not been done. So I don’t think there is anything I can tell you. I am not in government and I can only talk about it. You know MPs cannot construct roads,” he said in an interview with Freelance Journalist Amos Ekow Coffie.
When asked what measures are in place currently to address the poor road networks, Mr Larbi stated that he is not in government and he has laid the issue before Parliament but nothing has been done about it.
“MPs cannot construct roads. Lobby who? I say lobby who? It has been there already. You go to Parliament and find out if it is not there. I have spoken about it. I have asked questions about it. It is there and the Minister has come to promise and so that’s the extent to which I can go. What do you expect me to do? – he asked harshly.
He further stated that “Masa, when you come to Lower Manya it is not only Akuse that has road problems, we have road problems all over, so sometimes you people should educate the people the more. Let the people know. My whole life as an MP, I can’t use my money to construct it, so push more like what, look the work of an MP is to bring it to the attention of the ministry. You can ask for monies to be released to be done but can’t come and hold the MP. You people should educate our people to appreciate what we are doing so that they don’t put unnecessary pressure on us, no MP can construct roads.”
Meanwhile, residents on September 21, 2021, during a communal labour exercise carried out to mark Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, bemoaned the lack of good roads and said, potential investors, shy away from the community due to the poor road network.
“We decided to have a communal labour because of our roads, the road is very bad when it rains people cannot come out, from here to Okwenya, cars have to ply the roads for about an hour or 30minutes before reaching Okwenya, so we are appealing to the government to come to our aid and do the roads for us because Akuse is an old town, we have to do the roads so that, the town will be good for us so we are appealing to the government to come to our aid,” a resident said.
Akuse is home to one of the oldest hospitals in Ghana, the Akuse Government Hospital, the Akuse Prisons, and the Kpong Dam.
Its indigences are predominantly small and medium scale business owners and farmers. It has a population of about 1,500 and serves as the major link which connects Asutuare and other surrounding communities.
Below is the full audio-visual recorded during the interview;
Source: vicruz.com/ Amos Ekow Coffie
